


A Snuggly Start to 2004

by GeckoGirl89



Category: Friends (TV)
Genre: Affectionate Joey, Alternate Season/Series 10, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clinging, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Ficlet, Introspection, Lazy Mornings, New Years, No Plot/Plotless, POV Rachel, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 02:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9152554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoGirl89/pseuds/GeckoGirl89
Summary: Rachel grins. "You know, I've only been away for five minutes.""Five minutes too long. Can't sleep without you."





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just some self-indulgent Rachel/Joey fluff set during New Year's morning in an AU where they didn't break up in 10.03 (TOW Ross's Tan). Minor references to 9.17 (TOW The Memorial Service) and 3.03 (TOW The Jam). It's inspired by the fact that January 1 is usually a pretty lazy day for me.

Rachel wakes up first, slowly and by degrees.

She blinks open her eyes to see sunlight from the first morning of 2004 entering their bedroom through the cracks in the blinds. She simply lays there, encircled in Joey's arms, for several long moments. There's no pressing reason for her to get up. She doesn't have to go into work, and Emma didn't wake up yet. But despite her contentment, she can't quite go back to sleep.

With a sigh, she carefully extracts Joey's arms from around her. Joey always holds her tightly in his sleep, as if he never wants to let her go. If he were awake, he would probably tell her that's exactly why he does it. Rachel smiles slightly at the thought. She glances over to her boyfriend, who is frowning in his sleep, and gives him the new Hugsy, which was sitting on the headboard. Rachel recalls how Joey had been so reluctant to let go of his old stuffed penguin, but a few days after their ridiculous fight about it, Rachel had found the old Hugsy, with the button missing, sitting in Emma's crib. Since they've started sleeping in the same bed, Rachel has become the thing Joey wants to cuddle at night rather than a stuffed animal of any kind, and the new Hugsy had been relegated to a spot near the bed.

With something to hug, Joey's face shifts back into a peaceful expression. Rachel strokes her finger's over Joey's hairline, smoothing the strands. There's a part of her that really wants to crawl back into bed with him, but she's already awake, so she might as well get started with her day. Rachel dresses in pajamas and exits the bedroom, quietly padding out to the living room.

She starts up the coffee machine and sits for a couple of moments in the silent apartment. Her life isn't usually like this, filled with the hustle and bustle of the city, her many friends, and her daughter. The still atmosphere makes Rachel feel meditative.

Rachel decides to hang up the new calendar for the year. It's 2004, after all. She stretches, strolling towards the coffee table and removing the new calendar from the plastic wrap. She walks over to the wall, taking the old calendar off the wall and replacing it with the newer one.

Rachel startles when she feels arms wrapping around her waist, but she relaxes when she recognizes the familiar embrace. Joey leans his head against her shoulder. "Baby, what are you doing up so early?"

Rachel chuckles and lets her hands fall away from the calendar as she sags back against Joey's chest. She had seen the time on the alarm clock before she left their bedroom. "It's almost ten o'clock, hon."

Joey makes a sleepy noise of disagreement. "Don't care. Come back to bed. I missed you."

Rachel grins. "You know, I've only been away for five minutes."

"Five minutes too long. Can't sleep without you."

Rachel blushes. They've been together for months, but Rachel doesn't know if she will ever completely get used to the way Joey is so open and honest with his feelings for her. It's as if he simply missed that stage almost everyone, especially men, go through, where they are taught to conceal the most vulnerable, intimate parts of themselves.

Being with Joey has been really wonderful for Rachel. She doesn't have to worry about coming across as the clingy, overemotional girl who demands too much out of her boyfriend. And she knows Joey actually wants to hold her at night. He's not a "hug and roll" kind of guy.

Rachel turns around in Joey's hold and leans up to peck him on the lips. His expression, which had been clouded by sleepy confusion before, clears into pure happiness.

Rachel glances over towards the coffee machine, which is ready. "I'll just get a cup of coffee, and then I'll come right back to bed."

Joey nods at this, and Rachel fixes herself a cup of coffee. She smiles when she feels Joey hovering behind her. Apparently, he _really_ doesn't want to be away from her right now.

She clasps his hand and they walk back into their bedroom. She sits up and picks up the book from the nightstand that Phoebe had given her for Christmas that she hasn't got around to reading yet. Joey curls into her side and lays his head in the space between Rachel's neck and shoulder. After a few seconds, Joey's arm drapes over her stomach, locking her in place.

Rachel glances down to see that Joey's eyes are already closed. "Is this better?"

Joey beams and kisses Rachel's cheek. "Much."

Rachel focuses on her book, smiling when she feels Joey's breaths slow against her neck as he falls back asleep. This is the perfect, lazy way to start the New Year.


End file.
